Sickle attachment.



J. RANKIN.

SICKLE ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.8. 1911.

1 72,995. Patented July 9, 1918.

wmw Coz JEFF RANKIN, OF GLENDALE, ARIZONA.

SICKLE' ATTAcHMnNT.

To all wit 0m itmay concern:

Be it known that L'Jnrr RANKTN,a citizen of the United States, residing'at Glendale, 'in' the county of'Maricopa and Stateof Arizona, have invented new and useful 'Improveinents in Sickle Attachments, of which the following is a specification. I This invention provides a sickle attachment which is designed to hold the cutting edge of the sickle in constant'contact with the ledger plates forthe dual purpose'of obtaining a shear like cutting action, together with anautomatic sharpening of thesickle.

The invention embodies inits make-up :a novel construction," combination and. arrangement of parts as claimed. I

In the drawing forming part of this specification like numerals ofreferenceindicate similar parts in the several views and where Figure 1 is a top plan view of a sickle and sickle bar showing the component parts of the attachment associated therewith.

Fig, 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

33 of Fig.1.

Fi g. 1 is a fragmentary view of one of the cleats audits associated strip;

The device forming the subject matter of my invention is susceptible of being used with mowers, reapers and other analogous machines, and as shown in the drawing 'A indicates a sickle bar and B the sickle which is associated with the sickle bar in the ordinary well known manner.

The attachment embodies a base plate 10 which is adapted to be bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the sickle bar A at an appropriate point in its length. It might here be stated that any number of attachments may be used in conjunction with a single machine, although two will be found suflicient with machines of ordinary con- Fi'g. 3-is a sectional view taken on line struction. Rising from the base 10 adjacent each end is a post 11, the latter being in the nature of a headed bolt passed through the base with the head countersunk in the under side thereof so that the base may be properly seated upon the sickle bar. Reposing upon the base adjacent the rear edge thereof is a cleat or strip 12, while suitably spaced above this cleat, and disposed in parallelism therewith is. a similar cleat or strip 13. These cleats have alined apertures through which the bolts 11 pass, while interposed between Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1918.

Application filed December 5 3, 1917. Serial No. 206,252.

the respective cleats 12 and 13 and surrounding therespective bolts 11' are sleeves 14 which maintain the cleats properly spaced apart; Nuts 15 are associatedwith the free extremities of the bolts 11 and are utilized tomaintain the parts hereinabove described fixed relatively.

The cleats 12 and 13 constitute guides for a sliding block 16, the latter being fitted between the cleats or strips 12 and 18, and having its opposite sides grooved or channeled as 17 to receive the cleats in the manner shown. Projecting forwardly from the block16 is a rod 18which has one extremity receivedwlthin a transverse bore provided in 'a standard 19 carried by a base 20. A set screw 21 is mounted upon the standard to intersect'the bore thereof, and when the set screw is brought into engagementv with the rod18 maintains the standard and rod fixed relatively. As illustrated, the base 20 is bolted or otherwise suitably secured upon the'sickle, and the attachment thus provides a connection between the sickle bar and sickle A. and B respectively. Encircling the plates, so that as the sickle is reciprocated a shear like cutting action is obtained, while in addition to this fact the cutting edge of the sickle by constant engagement with the ledger plates is automatically sharpened materially increasing the efficiency of the machine for its purpose. The block 16 slides between the cleats or strips 12 and 13 respectively as the sickle is reciprocated, and materially assists in maintaining the sickle properly positioned with respect to the sickle bar to accomplish the above mentioned purposes. It will be noted, that the base 20 may have its position changed upon the sickle to vary the tension of the spring 22 should such be necessary at any time. In other words by loosening the base plate 20 from the sickle, and the set screw 21, the base 20 and standard 19 may be slid upon the bar 18 toward the base 10 to further compress and tension the spring 22, whereupon the set screw 21 is tightened to hold the parts fixed in a given position, and the base subsequently secured to the sickle. It will be thec ombination'with a finger bar and a reciprocating cutter bar, of a base secured to While a is believed further noted that each of the cleats '12 and 13 are provided with arecess 11 for the re-;

ception of a lubricant, While securedcin any suitable manner to these cleats Rare strips,

12 and 13 which constitute closures for the recesses, each of'thestrip's having an opening 14 through which lubricant may be introduced into the recess. One'wall'of each reces isprovided with an opening 15 through which the lubricant escapes from the recess, thus maintaining the associated moving parts, of the attachment properly lubricated. The lnvention is extremely simple in construction and operation, and

can be quickly and easily applied to the character of machines with whichit is intended to be used. 7 y H I 7 that from the foregoing description the'nature and advantages and that such changes may be resorted to .when desired as fall Within the scope of what is claimed.

- What is claimed is V 1. In a machine of the characterdescribed,

said finger bar, posts rising from said base,

'spaced parallel guiding elements fitted on said posts, sleeves surrounding said posts and lnterposed between said elements to hold the latter spaced, a channeled block arrangedto reciprocate between said guiding elements, and a connection between said ing block, 's'up'port therefor fixed upon the finger bar, a standard secured to the cutter bar, a rod providing a connection betweens'aid block and standard whereby the block is reciprocated simultaneously with the movement of said cutter bar, and a.

coil spring encirclingsaid rod and bearing 7 "against said standardjto maintain the cut ting. edge of said cutter bar in constant eni'ga'gement with the. finger bar forthe purposes described.

3. In a'machine o fthe characterdescribed,

the combination with a finger bar and a reciprocating cutter bar, of a support secured to said cutter bar, a block arranged to slide upon said support, a standard rising-from said cutter bar, and having a transverse bore, a rod providing a connection between sald block and standard and having one extremity received within saidbore, a spring encircling SiLlCll'Od. and bearing against sald standard to maintain the cutting edge of said bar in constant engagement with thefinger bar,

said standard being capable of sliding adjustment on saidrod to vary the tension of said spring, and aset screw carried by said standard to engage said rod to hold the standard fixed relatively thereto'in a given position.

'In testimony-whereoflafiix my signature.

JEFF RANKIN; V

' came; 6: this patent may beolitaine'd for 'flv'e c'ents each, by aaares nrg the "commissioner of rite-5m,

Washington, D. 0. 

